A man suspected of robbing a vendor during the Nationals game at RFK Stadium apparently shot himself in the leg by mistake late last night as he tried to elude security guards, authorities said.

The incident began shortly before 10:30 p.m., in the final inning of the game against the Florida Marlins. Diane Groomes, commander of the 1st Police District, said a man robbed a vendor on the fifth floor of the stadium as the woman was closing the business for the night.

As fans looked on, security guards alerted by the vendor chased the man down the ramps of the stadium. But the man managed to escape the building before apparently climbing a fence to get into Lot 5, the players' parking area, Groomes said.

Guards caught up with the man there, Groomes said, and he had what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound in one of his legs. The injury was not thought to be life-threatening. He was transported to a hospital.

Groomes said the suspect, a 21-year-old from Baltimore, was a former employee of a food vendor at the stadium. The man's name was not released because he had not yet been charged.

Police recovered a semi-automatic pistol in the parking lot. The Nationals won the game, 6-4.